Case Study: Aldersgate Street

News at Stirling Ackroyd | 06/04/2016

This month Stirling Ackroyd have launched this outstanding, one-of-a-kind converted apartment to the market. Located in the Grade II listed Barbican building and created by Tracey Wiles, Partner of Make Architects and Ken Mackay, founder of Mackay and Partners, we've been chatting to them to find out what drew them to renovate a part of this iconic London building.

What interested you into buying in the Barbican development?

We were aware that the space was sitting empty for a long period of time. Upon first viewing of the space, it seduced us. There was immediate emotional response to the varying scale and proportion of rooms. The high ceilings and brilliantly textured concrete. The raw space had an amazing sence of order and variety. We knew it was going to make an amazing home.

What was the property like when you bought it?

Originally the estates office of the Barbican, it was abandoned and unloved when we found it. Run down stair and overgrown courtyard was the introduction to black ceilings, ply partitions and storage rooms and a large block of toilets stood where the kitchen is now relocated. It was clear that minimal services, concrete floor and soffit were going to provide challenges, however the promise the space offered far outweighed any concerns for logistics.

Where did you get the inspiration from for the renovation?

The planning came together with ease, with each room responding to access, services, scale and proportion. The refined palette of materials followed. Dark timber veneer joinery, and dark gloss lacquer to line recesses or provide a backdrop to the kitchen highlighting the texture of the uplit columns. Solid surface kitchen and bathroom benchtops providing generous yet visually simple insertions and the softness of plasterboard complimenting the texture of the concrete. A minimal palette of sophisticated materials, complimenting the natural beauty of the raw space.

How long did it take for you to complete the project?

A period of time was working alongside the corporation of London to establish the best use for the space. Once we were all focused on a single residence, documentation and approvals were approximately 9 months with a 9 month construction period.

What is your favourite part of the property?

The property is open plan with the privacy of a traditional cellular house. The choreography of moving through and experiencing the spaces as parts of the unified whole is really unique.

What is your highlight of the area?

Architects often speak of Genious Loci. This home has a spirit of place. The scale and proportion of spaces, the juxtaposition of the new insertions with the texture of the concrete and brick has a magic to it that can only be felt in the space

For more information on this property visit the property page or get in contact with our Clerkenwell Sales Manager Alex Hensley on 020 7256 3234.

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